Simonds' Regiment of Militia also known as the 2nd Berkshire County Regiment was raised in

Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County (pronounced ) is the Western Massachusetts, westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state, U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its la ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. The Regiment was at

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in northern New York. It was constructed between October 1755 and 1757 by French-Canadian ...

during the winter of 1776–1777. Simonds' Regiment was called up in the summer of 1777 during the

Saratoga Campaign The Saratoga campaign in 1777 was an attempt by the British to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley during the American Revolutionary War. It ended in the surrender of a British army, which historian Edmund M ...

fighting at the Battle of Bennington with General John Stark's Brigade of

New Hampshire Militia The New Hampshire Militia was a militia of what is now the U.S. state of New Hampshire. First organized in 1631, it was redesignated as the New Hampshire National Guard in 1879. History The Militia was first organized within the Province of Ne ...

. Many volunteers also joined the regiment at this time including William Easton, and the "Fighting Parson," Thomas Allen. Simonds' Regiment attacked Friedrich Baum's redoubt from the south during the battle as Stickney's, Hale's and Hobart's attacked form the east and Nichols' attacked from the west. The regiment would continue on to the

Battle of Bemis Heights The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) were two battles between the American Continental Army and the British Army fought near Saratoga, New York, concluding the Saratoga campaign in the American Revolutionary War. The secon ...

and the surrender of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

General John Burgoyne's army. The regiment would also be called up in response to

Carleton's Raid Carleton's Raid was a British raid led by Major Christopher Carleton in the American War of Independence. It was launched in the fall 1778 from the Province of Quebec against targets in upstate Province of New York. Prelude On October 24, 1778 ...

and the

Royalton Raid The Royalton raid was a British-led Indian raid in 1780 against various towns along the White River Valley in the Vermont Republic, and was part of the American Revolutionary War. It was the last major Indian raid in New England. Raids In the ...

of 1780. Officers commissioned for the 2nd Berkshire County Regiment of Massachusetts Militia, 30 August 1775: *Benjamin Simonds, Colonel *Jonathan Smith, Lieutenant Colonel *David Rosseter, 1st Major *Caleb Hyde, 2nd Major On 22 January 1776, an act was passed for "Forming and Regulating the Militia within the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, etc." and repealing all former acts for that purpose. In accordance with this act, John Hancock, Azor Orne, and Benjamin Lincoln were chosen 1st, 2nd and 3rd Major Generals of the militia of the colony, dated 8 February 1776. Brigadiers for the various counties were chosen and the number of regiments was set for each county with 2 for Berkshire County. John Fellows was chosen Brigadier General for Berkshire County, 30 January 1776, the appointment concurred in by Council, 8 February 1776. According to an official record of a ballot of the Massachusetts House of Representative dated 30 January 1776, officers were again chosen for the 2nd Berkshire County Regiment of Massachusetts Militia with the appointments being concurred in by Council, 7 February 1776: *Benjamin Simonds, Colonel *Jonathan Smith, Lieutenant Colonel *David Rosseter, 1st Major *Caleb Hyde, 2nd Major List of Officers commissioned or chosen for the 2nd Berkshire County Regiment, May–June 1776:''Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War'', 1:904; 2:611; 3:584; 5:865; 6:14, 594, 841; 7:950; 9:132; 11:536; 12:605; 12:977; 15:819; 16:704. *Eliel Tode (Todd), Adjutant *Peter Porter, Captain, 5th (Becket) Company *Amos Rathbone, Captain, 6th Company *Oliver Belding, Captain, 7th Company *William Clark, Captain, 8th (Gageborough) Company *William Francis, Captain, 9th (2nd Pittsfield) Company *William Watkins, Captain, 16th (Partridgefield) Company *Gideon Hinman, Captain, 21st (3rd Lanesborough) Company *Gideon Kent, Captain, 22nd (New Ashford) Company *Zebulon Norton, Captain 23rd (Dalton) Company *William Green, 1st Lieutenant, Capt. Gideon Kent's 22nd Company *Samuel Goodrich, 2nd Lieutenant, Capt. Oliver Belding's 7th Company *William Ford, 2nd Lieutenant, Capt. William Francis's 9th Company *Daniel Brown, 2nd Lieutenant, Capt. Gideon Hinman's 21 Company

References

{{MassLine Simonds' Regiment of Militia